September 13, 2023 • 39 mins
Do you ever feel like you're taking an ongoing Trust Test with God? Well, you're not alone. This episode is a journey of faith and a deep dive into the cycle of mistrust and ingratitude that has infected humanity long before the Israelites were on the brink of entering the Promised Land. We discuss the importance of gratitude when in a state of contentment and how this can reinforce our faith in Jehovah Jireh, our Father, The Provider.
But it's not just about trust and gratitude. There's more to our relationship with God. We explore some deep-rooted issues that can create distance. Pride, for instance, can be a major barrier, and we use Paul's letter to Timothy as a guide to unravel the dangers of pride and its potential to breed mistrust. Conversely, we also talk about generosity - not ours, but God's, and how it's His generosity we should share with others.
We wrap up by discussing humility and trust in our relationship with God, with a focus on how the Holy Spirit continually works on us. We delve into the warning in Deuteronomy 8 about the ruinous consequences of doubt and arrogance. This episode reminds us that true life is linked to a relationship with the Father and how easily we can forget this and focus on unimportant things. Join us as we navigate these challenging spiritual terrains, gain wisdom, and foster a deeper, more intimate relationship with our Father.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dan Schilling (00:07):
Hey, welcome to the Feed Sheep Podcast, where we
help you hear God's voice,follow His lead and thrive as a
disciple.
I'm Dan Schilling and I'll beone of your guides.
Now let's get into today'stopic.
Hey, welcome to FeedSheepPodcast.
We're back again for part two,Michael.
Good to be with you again forpart two here of the Trust Test.
(00:27):
Yeah, have you ever taken atest?
Michael Blue (00:30):
like this, a Trust Test?
Yeah, yeah.
Dan Schilling (00:37):
Like those fall tests or something.
Michael Blue (00:39):
Yeah.
Dan Schilling (00:40):
Like trust me, do you trust?
Michael Blue (00:41):
me like full test.
Yeah, we had a big thing inninth grade in high school where
we had this like trust fall andall kinds of team building type
of thing.
So, yeah, I hated it.
Did they drop you on the ground?
I was the guy Like, see, don'ttrust people.
Dan Schilling (00:58):
Yeah, sorry, now they caught me.
Well, we're going to go backinto this topic.
If you missed the first part, Iwould encourage you back.
We won't spend a lot of timehere going back over it.
But this is an issue that Iknow each one of us, wherever at
(01:19):
in life, are on this journey oron this process of taking this
test, this Trust Test, and everyday we have an opportunity to
say am I going to be passingthis test?
And I don't think he's lookingat us trying to like.
(01:40):
Sometimes we think that he's upthere right now, you're failing
, You're not doing it, you'renot meeting the standard.
But I recognize in my ownjourney that it's not something
that I'm going to get an A-plusand be done with it, right.
So what's?
On to the next thing?
I don't ever have to go backand revisit that, but this is a
(02:01):
continual journey while I'm onthis side of eternity of
continuing to grow in that TrustM as Jehovah, jire the provider
.
So yeah, yeah.
Michael Blue (02:14):
That's really good .
Sorry, I'm looking outside andit's raining in Texas, which is
the first time in life.
Dan Schilling (02:25):
Yeah, yeah, this is happening, you guys are
having the dry spell there thissummer.
Michael Blue (02:32):
Yeah, but it even reminds me, as we think of this
Trust Test and you think, of thetimes when God shut off rain,
and there are times and seasonsof dryness when we say God,
where are you?
And it feels empty I mean,there's even books, right,
(02:53):
there's a term for it in manypeople's lives of the dark night
of the soul.
Dan Schilling (02:57):
Yes, You're telling me the book.
Michael Blue (02:58):
Yes, there's a book I read called when the Well
Runs Dry, and it's these ideasof these times of dryness where
those are actually some of thebest training grounds for trust.
Yes, I talk about a trust fall.
One of the things you have totrust is because I don't know if
they're still standing behindme with their arms out.
Dan Schilling (03:18):
I got to go backwards.
Michael Blue (03:20):
Yes, and so when I can see, I can maybe trust a
little bit easier.
But when I don't see, when Idon't have that, it strengthens
that muscle, as we talked aboutlast time.
Dan Schilling (03:34):
Yes, Well, let's just hit the points.
We have five points that wewant to make here in these
episodes.
The first two we covered in thelast episode, which is that my
mistrust limits my charactergrowth and that character growth
of trust.
But I think it's also thatcharacter of humility and my
(03:54):
willingness to say I am not theprovider, I know my role.
My position is not to take careof everything, and the danger
is is that I start to startthinking that it's my job.
Now, I do believe we have a partright, I mean we.
There's a aspect of our journeyof when we are led by the
spirit.
We spin one another on towardslove and good deeds.
(04:17):
There are things that he willhave us do, but it's not that we
talked about in a podcastbefore, about the be then do.
It's not do.
First it's, there's an outcomeof the being, and so when I'm
with my father, he may have somethings, but I'm missing out on
opportunities, and that's oursecond point is that mistrust
(04:37):
leads to missed opportunitiesand those opportunities to allow
him to show himself to me asJehovah Jireh, and that many
times I don't want to put myselfand allow myself to even be in
a situation where I'm going toneed to trust him.
Michael Blue (04:53):
So, absolutely, yeah, it's a.
It's a place that we, as yousaid last time, you know it's.
We don't want to be in a placeto need to trust God, but we
want to be able to trust God.
Yes, and unfortunately, youknow, those things are not
mutually exclusive.
They have to come together tolearn to trust.
I have to trust.
Dan Schilling (05:14):
Yes.
So let's much pray for us.
And then we're going to getright into the three points
three, four and five.
Michael Blue (05:21):
then for today, Sure, I got thanks for time
again together, where we get tolook at the fact that you are
trustworthy, that you, you areworthy of us putting our
confidence in, that you don'tever leave us, you never forsake
us, and so we can come boldlybefore you and know that you
will provide.
So give us wisdom as we talkthrough this minister, to our
(05:42):
hearts, as we seek to draw nearto you.
Jesus name, amen, amen.
Dan Schilling (05:47):
All right, so we're going to pick up here.
We've gone through.
This is Deuteronomy eight.
Again, we're reading out thenew living translation and we're
going to pick up now, startingin verse six.
So we got a versus one throughfive last time, so we're going
to start here in verse six andwe're going to the point we want
(06:10):
to get to in this.
One is that mistrust leads toingratitude, so why don't you
start reading for us there inverse six?
Michael Blue (06:19):
All right, so obey the commands of the Lord, your
God, by walking in his ways andfearing him.
Again, just to remind, this isMoses talking to Israelites?
He's they're about to go intothe promised land, and Moses is
not right, so he's giving usfinal instruction.
So he says so obey the commandsof the Lord, your God, by
walking in his ways and fearinghim.
So the Lord, your God, isbringing you into a good land of
flowing streams and pools ofwater, with fountains and
(06:42):
springs that gush out in thevalleys and hills.
It is a land of wheat andbarley, of grapevines, fig trees
and pomegranates, of olive oiland honey.
It is a land where food isplentiful and nothing is lacking
.
It is a land where iron is ascommon as stone and copper is
abundant in the hills.
When you have eaten your fill,be sure to praise the Lord, your
(07:04):
God, for the good land he hasforgiven you, amtrakis, he has
given you.
Dan Schilling (07:09):
Yes, well sometimes it's forgiven too,
yeah, yeah.
Well, this again, what I wantto draw out here is that our
mistrust can lead to ingratitude.
I mean, he's taking them to aplace of provision, of abundance
.
Right, this is going to be aplace.
Many would even say this islike what the United States of
(07:34):
America is, right, just acountry of plenty.
Right, we have resources.
We have beautiful resources,hills, minerals, just beautiful
opportunities in front of us.
But the danger is, like manytimes throughout Scripture,
(07:55):
there's been this cycle thathappens Throughout Scripture is,
I said, if you kind of startedat the bottom here, where the
people of Israel are, if it wason a compass, maybe you'd say
they're at the bottom andthey're going to start heading
up and they start moving theirheart to trust in the provider.
So if trust in the provider waswhere West is, so they're
(08:16):
moving up towards that trust inthe provider and then when they
reach you know that growth andthat journey of trusting in Him,
when their heart gets so closeto that, then what happens is
sometimes, throughout Bible, wesee this where they start
putting their trust in theprovision which leads them on
this cycle.
And so when you look throughScripture, you keep seeing this
cycle where they keep goingaround and around and around,
(08:39):
where they would get stripped ofeverything.
They would say, okay, god, showus, help us.
And so Moses is trying to sayto him hey guys, by the way,
when you get there, you knowthis is what's going to be like,
but we're going to see in justa moment here this other, you
know next part of the Scriptureis you're going to most likely
(09:01):
you're going to be on the samecycle again and I don't want to
see you get on that cycle.
But just be, make sure thatwhen you get there, that you're
full of praise.
And what we've seen in everyone of these incidents you know.
When you have been goingthrough the book of Kings right
now, it's like how many timesyou know or even the book of
Judges and what it says.
And again they did what was evilin the sight of Lord.
We keep going through this cyclearound and around, and I think
(09:22):
for many of us today that samecycle exists.
And what happens, at least inmy own journey, michael, and
what I was saying last time is Iforget how much he's done for
me in days past, right, I startlosing sight of how he has
revealed himself to me asJehovah Jire in the past, today
(09:46):
in the present, and has promisedme even for the future.
And just thinking about whatyou were teaching a few episodes
ago about Abraham and about thepromise and holding on to that
promise.
And many times, you know, weknow God has said I'll never
leave you, I'll never forsakeyou.
David said never saw therighteous forsaken begging for
(10:09):
bread.
So we believe that he's trust.
We see in the scriptures thathe's trustworthy, but what we've
been talking about is the wordmistrust, or that suspicion that
he's not going to do that, andwhat that happens then is then
this heart of ingratitude startsto take root in the midst of
this process.
Michael Blue (10:29):
Yeah, we begin to think, you know, even thinking
about all the description of allthese things, we begin to think
, oh, those olives, that oliveoil came from my olives, right,
except the olives existed inthat land given to them by God.
But very quickly, I'm sure youthink it's your work, your
industry, all of these things,and I think that it's just this
(10:51):
cycle that we see all throughouthistory.
As you read that and we'retalking, I was reminded of John
Wesley's quote during therevivals in the 19th century.
He said this.
He says I fear, wherever richeshave increased, the essence of
religion has decreased in thesame proportion.
Therefore, I do, do I not seehow it is possible, in the
(11:13):
nature of things, for anyrevival of true religion to
continue long?
For religion must necessarilyproduce both industry and
frugality, and these cannot butproduce riches.
But as riches increase, so willpride, anger and love of the
world and all its branches.
And so, as he's watching thisrevival happen, he's effectively
saying what Moses said to thesepeople is this is going to,
(11:36):
you're going to walk in here andyou're going to have a land
where nothing is lacking.
Yes, iron and stone are thesame.
Copper is abundant, like youknow.
You have everything you need,but when you become full, be
sure to praise the Lord, yourGod, for the good land he has
given to you.
Yes, yes, and don't let prideand anger and these things come
(11:57):
in.
Yes, and so it does it's, it'sfor whatever reason.
It leads to ingratitude becauseI think we begin to see it as
our provision.
Right, like you said in thelast episode, there's no Dan
Jaira, there's no Michael Jairain the Bible.
There's Jehovah Jaira, godprovider.
Yes, yes, but if I produced iton my own and with my own hands,
(12:19):
then I'd lose gratitude.
Dan Schilling (12:21):
Yes, Well, because I don't.
I that lack of humility.
What he said he was taking themthere for we looked in that
last, you know, because hehumbled you to take you here,
right, he was to teach you thatcharacter trait of humility that
helps me recognize that it ishis provision.
(12:41):
He gave me life today.
He gave me breath.
He gave me not just the breadthat's in front of me, but that
word that proceeds from themouth of the Father, that
direction, that leadership, thatguidance that I need every day.
The danger is is when I don'trecognize that it came from him
anymore, right, and I startedthinking oh, I'm the source, it
(13:06):
is Dan Jaira, it's the source ofwisdom, dan Jaira, the source,
I mean the prevent, not just theprovision of my material things
, but the provision of wisdomand insight and knowledge and
understanding.
All of a sudden, why do I needto go to him?
I can provide myself all ofthose things, and that leads me
to a.
Why should I be grateful to him?
I'm the one who's doing itright, and that's a dangerous
(13:30):
place.
That's what mistrust.
Or when my trust is no longerplaced upon him for that daily
bread, not just, again, physicalthings, but that word that I
need from so dangerous place.
But I find myself, unfortunately, many times again in this place
where the problem isn't God andreally the problem isn't around
(13:53):
me.
The problem is, you know,looking in the mirror, right
that I have been Turning tomyself and trying to figure, and
the reason I'm feeling thatanxiety and stress and pressure
and all the things that aregoing on around me is because I
Don't know how I'm gonna.
How am I gonna deal with it?
How am I gonna deal thesituation?
(14:14):
And he's inviting me to come tothat table and Enjoy that fresh
bread and that fellowship withhim, where he can not only meet
my needs and give me to rest,but just say I got this right.
Michael Blue (14:28):
Yeah, and I think that there, the important thing
is, god has a lot of goodnessfor us, right?
I mean, we could fall prey tothe, this idea of, well, I just
need to run from everything, butthere is good, warm bread in
his presence.
But it always comes with thiswarning of you know, the
tendency is that when we're full, we don't praise God, for we
(14:53):
don't walk in his ways, we don'tfear him, yes, and we we become
suspicious of one who may askus to give it away you know, you
have enough.
Yes, yes, let's share, obey Mike, as part of what the commands
are.
There's a lot of sharing inthose commands.
Yes, there's, there's.
We won't have time for thattoday, but yes, and so I become,
(15:16):
I start to clutch, yes, thegood things he's given me.
Dan Schilling (15:20):
Yes, and then what happens many times is I've
been sharing with a guy atbreakfast this morning with I
said you, the problem is is Iget so worried about my own
stuff that I miss the callingthat God has, you know, said to
me now I want you to take someof this fresh bread and I want
(15:42):
you to go share it with someother folks today.
Right, and the goal isn't toget them to like you and look at
you like oh, or for them tobecome dependent on you to
deliver them the bread.
The actual goal is to invitethem back to the father's table,
to have them come to their seatat the father's table, for them
(16:05):
to have that same opportunity,that same relationship, with a
father at the table eating thefresh bread, enjoying the
fellowship.
And then they actually get todo the exact same thing to take
some of that bread and go sharethat Life, that encouragement,
that word that brought you life,that brought you encouragement.
(16:25):
Now you can take that and feedSomeone else with it.
Yeah, so it's good.
Yeah, well, let's keep going,because now we're gonna get to
the warning which is like ohwhat, what do we got to look out
for?
So let's look at this, startingin verse 11 again, this is
Deuteronomy 8.
Michael Blue (16:43):
So let's read there.
Dan Schilling (16:44):
I'm gonna read down through 15 this time, All
right but that is the time to becareful.
Michael Blue (16:50):
Beware that in your plenty, you do not forget
the Lord, your God, and disobeyhis commands, regulations and
decrees that I am giving youtoday.
For when you have become fulland prosperous and have built
fine homes to live in, when yourflocks and herds have become
very large and your silver andgold have multiplied along with
everything else, be careful, donot become proud at that time
(17:11):
and forget the Lord, your God,who rescued you from slavery in
the land of Egypt.
Do not forget that he led youthrough the great and terrifying
wilderness with its poisonoussnakes and scorpions.
Dan Schilling (17:21):
Where it was so hot and dry, he gave you water
from the rock and Well, this tome is like such a reminder of
the United States of America.
Sometimes, like you know, we'veas a country you know we're a
couple, a hundred years oldFolks that came here had, you
(17:42):
know, many next to nothingimmigrants coming and getting
established.
But they came to this countryand they began to work hard and
and Do all kinds of things,industries and farms and things
all over this country.
They became Full and andprosperous, you know, built nice
(18:04):
homes, you know, they increasedin their, not just their flocks
and herds, but their wealth,their silver and gold, and, and
now we are at a place whereWe've multiplied so much, we
have a generation of Folks havebecome entitled to thinking well
, of course I deserve it, ofcourse I should have everything,
(18:25):
of course I'm Entitled to have,you know, my portfolio grow,
you know, 20 plus percent, or mybusiness to grow, this, this,
this.
Anyways, the warning again issaying you know just when that
happens.
Don't look to yourself, but thecycles they were just talking
(18:45):
about before, it just keepshappening, right, we just keep
our heart and trust moves awayfrom the provider toward the
provision and we start headingsouth and they use the
asterstripus, and to me I thinkthat's one of the things that
you know.
At some point in time you say,historically, it's probably not
a I'm not a doomsday, or for theUnited States of America at
(19:05):
some point, just historically,like every other nation has done
.
It usually comes around a cycleand at some point and you say
look what we're doing as acountry, look our fiscal.
You know choices and things wedo, the debt and all the things
that we're doing.
At some point in time it'sprobably gonna catch up with us.
Michael Blue (19:26):
Right, yeah, absolutely.
And you know, the key thinghere, I think, is this pride
right To not become proud andforget God.
And if you think about peoplein your life who are arrogant
and prideful and all those itcreates it does.
It creates relational distancebetween you and another person
(19:46):
and it just has to.
It's an abrasive.
It's a me centered, me firstidea.
You know I'm special and so youknow.
Pride then leads to arroganceand looking down on other people
and thinking less of others, asyou think more highly of
yourself than you ought.
And so when we do this with God, right, imagine being prideful
in the face of God and how muchthat actually creates when there
(20:11):
is already such a differencebetween who he is and who we are
.
I mean, it's one thing for meto be prideful versus you, dan,
no offense versus me to beprideful against God.
Yes yes, and so it's going toput a rift in our relationship.
If I think I'm the one whomultiplied, I'm the one who you
(20:33):
know was smart in my breedingefforts to build these flocks
and herds.
I'm the one who's multipliedthese things and with my hands I
constructed this beautifulhouse.
Dan Schilling (20:42):
Yes.
So how many years ago was thiswritten?
I mean, how was this like?
Spoken from Moses, would yousay?
I like 4,000, I think Ish,4,000 years ago.
All right, that's been a longtime ago.
So it's not like this is new,right?
I mean, like what I'm sayingabout the United States, it's
not like this is like you can gothrough your Bible and just see
this.
You know cyclical process forthousands of years happen again
(21:05):
and again.
But what I want to also bringout is I don't know when this
was written you probably do, butthis first Timothy, you know,
say yeah, it was 2,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago.
So we'll get 4,000 years ago,2,000 years ago and probably
some present day thing we justtalked about.
(21:26):
But let's look at this versehere.
Why don't you read this Kind ofthe same thing that was just a
warning, if you will in theDeuteronomy passage here in 1
Timothy 6, this is gonna be inverses 17 down through 19.
And again, what we're thinkingabout here is how mistrust
(21:47):
creates relational distance.
So we're gonna think about thatin this scripture as well.
Michael Blue (21:52):
Yeah, and this is Paul's writing a letter to
Timothy, kind of his apprenticeor a guy he had discipled pastor
and he wrote this he said teachthose who are rich in this
world not to be proud and not totrust in their money, which is
so unreliable.
Their trust should be in God,who richly gives us all we need
for our enjoyment.
Tell them to use their money todo good.
(22:13):
They should be rich in goodworks and generous to those in
need, always being ready toshare with others.
By doing this, they will bestoring up their treasure as a
good foundation for the futureso that they may experience true
life.
Dan Schilling (22:26):
Yes, when I think what happens again I'll point
the finger at myself is yearsago I heard a teacher who was
saying that the problem is mostof us, when we look at these
scriptures, we don't thinkthey're talking to us, right, so
I'm not rich.
I mean, I'm not like Elon Muskor I'm not like whoever who has
(22:50):
more than right.
So everybody feels like they'renot rich because they're
comparing themself up tosomebody else, so it's like
right, and then that ain'ttalking to me.
But the defining this of richis to have more than you need.
We may have talked about thisin the past.
If I have a rich brownie, ithas too much, maybe chocolate or
sugar.
A car that's running rich hastoo much oil or fuel, so it has
(23:11):
more than it needs.
And so he's talking to those ofus who have more than we need.
And so just, that's me right.
And so now that I recognizethis is talking to me, I can be
careful that one I don't becomeproud and my heart doesn't move
like that same morning we lookedat Deuteronomy that my heart
doesn't move over to the stuffthat he's entrusted to me.
(23:33):
But we can see it again andagain and again that it happens.
And what?
The admonition here again in 1Timothy, the same that was given
to us in Deuteronomy and thesame that we wanna give to
ourselves and to you today, ifyou're listening is that it
doesn't want it.
And it's because we lose sightof who Jehovah Jireh is.
(23:56):
I mean he wants us to.
When I love what it says, thathe richly gives all we need for
our enjoyment, he wants you toenjoy it, give thanks for it, be
grateful for what you've beenprovided for.
But when he taps on you andsays, hey, here's what I'd like
you to go do with, that, thiswould be good.
We don't say, like you weresaying earlier, I think we
clutch onto it, it's like, no, Idon't wanna do that, that's for
(24:17):
me, right?
And then I miss out onparticipating in that relational
connection that I don't get toenjoy.
Why he gave it to me?
This teacher also said.
The problem is we make theassumption it's for our
consumption.
God gave it to him, of course.
(24:37):
It's all for me, right?
I mean to share it like this isfor me, and then I'm missing
out.
And I'm missing out on theopportunity to share.
And you and I've talked aboutthis many times that the goal
isn't to share because I'mgenerous.
The goal is to lead people tounderstand it's his generosity,
he's the giver, it's all his.
(24:57):
I'm just the delivery person,I'm just the one bringing that
bread and sharing it with you.
Not just physical bread ormaterial, but that word, that
bread from the father, and bydoing it we're storing up for
ourselves a treasure.
Why?
Because we're using what he'sgiven to help people connect to
(25:17):
their father.
This is a gift from your fatherto you.
He wants you to know he lovesyou, cares for you, and he wants
you to come be with him at histable.
He wants you to have a seat atthis table and that future, that
foundation, that if we do that.
I've been thinking about thispassage in Daniel when it says
that 12, 3, that those who leadmany to righteousness will shine
(25:40):
like the stars forever, andthat that to me, has become kind
of my, one of my goal, versuslike I want to.
I want to be One who leads manyothers to righteousness, and
not maybe a term that peoplethink like religiously, but in
real, light relationship, thatthey are in relationship with
the father sitting at the tableand join the bread with him,
(26:02):
that place of righteousness yeahWell, and I think it's
important and this is what Ioftentimes forget and have a
hard time keeping in myforefront as the promise that
they may experience true life Isthis promise.
Michael Blue (26:16):
So we, we kind of build our lives thinking that
the that we're experiencingsomething that's quote wretched,
to use that word again that'swretched and full and all of
that, when we're missing Kind ofthe true life.
And I don't have the greatconfront me, but my guess is
this word is zoe for life andthe term zoe life refers to our
(26:36):
eternal life is connected to God.
It's different.
There's three terms for life inthe Greek site suke, and I
don't remember.
One is our soul, basically, andone's our body, like our
Physical needs that we have yes,and then they have the zoe life
which is our, is life.
The eternal life is as connectedto God and it's true life.
And so this is this is the,this is the promise and this is
(26:59):
the kind of the thing that we'rePointing towards.
But it's really easy to Takeour eyes and shift them away
from that and onto the thingsand away from them.
Dan Schilling (27:09):
Really, the real one thing that matters, and
that's the experience of truelife, yes, Well, and and you and
I have been in this space when,from the financial side of it
too but just when these otherthings happen To come into our
life, meaning I have more than Ineed, just like the do-around
me passage, or in here, when Ihave more than I need, I come to
(27:31):
this place of plenty and myheart starts to leave.
And when my heart starts toleave, then I'm that relational
distance starts to happen.
I'm no longer, because theseother things start to become the
priority.
You said that are they becomethe thing has my time, my
attention, I'm no longer hearingthe voice, and when I'm no
longer here in the voice, I'mnot following him, and when I'm
(27:51):
not following, I'm not thriving,right.
And so this is why, again, thatwe want to encourage you all,
in ourselves here as well, onthis journey, is we don't want
to miss out on the relationship,the time together with the
father at the table enjoying thefresh bread.
(28:14):
Yeah, so it's good.
Yeah, well, let's.
Uh, we're at one more point togo here and we're gonna go back
to Deuteronomy 8 and we're gonnafinish up here and Verse 16,
and we'll go down through theend, 20.
Michael Blue (28:31):
All right.
So it says.
He fed you with manna and thewilderness of food unknown to
your ancestors.
He did this to humble you andtest you for your own good.
He did all this so that youwould never say to yourself I
have achieved this wealth withmy own strength and energy.
Remember the Lord your God.
He is the one who gives youpower to be successful in order
to fulfill the covenant heconfirmed to your ancestors with
(28:54):
an oath.
But I assure you of this if youever forget the Lord, your God,
and follow other gods,worshiping and bowing down to
them, you certainly, or you willcertainly, be destroyed.
Just as the Lord has destroyedother nations in your path, you
also will be destroyed if yourefuse to obey the Lord, your
God.
Dan Schilling (29:12):
Yes, and so point number five here is that
mistrust leads to pride anddestruction.
And Again you say well, you'vebeen talking about this pride
thing.
Well, it's interesting, there'sthree times in this section of
portion of scripture in Chapter8, from 1 to 20.
(29:33):
In verse 2, he talks about whyhe took him.
There was for humbling.
Verse 3, he again says yes, hehumbled you by letting you go
hungry.
And then again here in verse 16, that he did this to humble you
.
So I think he's trying to get apoint across here that when he
mentioned several times, right,that the goal is that we grow
(29:57):
and walk in humility and I'vebeen, michael, in this season of
life, continuing to recognizethat humility is not something I
grab a hold of and then I haveit that it really is something
that the Holy Spirit isimparting to me day by day,
moment by moment, and theremight be a moment that I where
(30:18):
humility comes in and it'sexemplified, but it can leave in
about a millisecond and I'mfinding myself in many aspects
of life being continuallychallenged of how much pride
still exists in here and whyhe's working on that aspect.
(30:39):
But it's because of my.
I don't trust him Like.
Many of my areas right now areimpatience of waiting, like it
seems like every aspect of mylife.
I'm always like getting behindsomebody who like doesn't go
through the light and stops, orI'm behind somebody in a line.
I go to the gas station, I getin line at Sam's Club and that
person in front of me can'tfigure out how to get the card
(31:01):
in and they're sitting there for15 minutes and I'm like, oh God
, help me, what am I?
And when I'm realized it's allpride.
I, you know, I'm not willingjust to rest in him in so many
ways and I'm not willing just tosay, god, I trust your timing
and provision, I'll trust youthat you're going to take care
of it.
I want it now, I want to get it.
(31:22):
I want that.
What I said last time aboutthat make bacon eat next time's
bread.
Michael Blue (31:26):
I want it now because I want to get to this
next point and I'm not willingjust to humble myself and I
wonder, if we think about somany of these things, we're
talking about even gettingthrough a line, so much of them
are pointed towards the future.
Right, we're longing for adifferent future, we're longing
to be done, we're alwayspointing to the future, and I
(31:47):
think that's where kind of thehumility comes in and it strips
us from what we talked aboutlast time, and that's being
willing to be in the presence inthe present.
Yes, right, and so when I, andso all of these things, largely
take me out of the present,where I'm unwilling to
experience the presence of God,when I'm unwilling to experience
(32:08):
the presence of the Father,because I'm longing or pining
for something else, and so Imiss, you know, even in the line
I may miss an opportunity thatGod has appointed me in that
place, with this man who'sstruggling to put his card in,
to be loving even to him, I'mnot even saying, you know, give
him, I'm sure they got, but justto be kind, yes, and so we were
(32:29):
people who are.
So we obviously exist in thepresent, but we often live in
the future or we live in thepast, and neither one of those
are very good places to live andGod doesn't call us to live in
either one of those he calls usto live in his presence, right
there at the table, as we waitfor him, as we trust him, and so
(32:50):
even our hurry can lead us intothis, like you said, out of
humility and into pride.
Dan Schilling (32:55):
Yes, well, and it's because I think I'm like I
got something more important togo to do, be a part of, you know
, an agenda, you know.
And the danger in that thinkingand I got stuff to do, I got, I
got a lot of things, I got toget done today because I'm
taking care of myself, and thisthinking starts to be pervasive
(33:18):
is I can take care of myself.
And you know, we grew up in acountry where it's kind of like
hey, pull yourself up by thebootstraps, get your.
You know, get out.
It's meant to be, it's up to me.
You know, I gotta, I gotta getit done.
I gotta, you know, drive thisthing.
I gotta drive this ministry, wegotta make it accomplish things
, we gotta do this, we gotta dothis.
And what happens is I, I, Imiss being at the table because
(33:42):
I start figuring out how I'mgoing to take care of it.
I'm, I'm, I'm no longer wantingto be dependent on him and what
that provision, not just again,of of physical needs, but that,
that word that proceeds fromhim, and what it leads me to is
a place of destruction, so thatI can't even love and care for
people when I'm in the gas line.
(34:06):
I can't you know I mean like I'mso caught up in myself and my
goals, my drive, my whatever.
I'm missing that place of rest,that place with my father to
say what's, what's the hurryRight?
Love on these people, care forthem serve them, humble yourself
, and so I'm a mess, but praiseGod that he's still at work,
(34:31):
right, he who began the goodwork as faithful to complete it
in us, and so just grateful forwhat he's doing in this season.
I believe he's drawing me to aplace that he does not want me
to live in, this place ofmistrust.
I'm grateful for that.
Michael Blue (34:48):
That's good.
Dan Schilling (34:51):
Well, let's, let's go back over these five
points again, just as a recapfrom the two times you want to
read through those.
You got them there.
Michael Blue (35:03):
Yeah, so the the five points are mistrust limits
my character growth.
The second one is mistrustleads to missed opportunities
and missing God's miraculousprovision and things.
Mistrust leads me todisobedience so I start trying
to do things my way.
Mistrust causes strainedcommunication, actually causes
(35:25):
relational distance.
Sorry about that.
Mistrust causes relationaldistance.
Dan Schilling (35:29):
I changed that.
Michael Blue (35:32):
Mistrust leads to pride and destruction, and so
those are kind of the five, fivethings.
So you know, all in all, Ithink we determine that mistrust
isn't a good thing, yeah.
Dan Schilling (35:42):
Well, and and what it's again, as we
differentiated those two ofmistrust and distrust, is that I
, I'm I'm not having theconfidence in him because I've
misplaced that confidence andmay have misplaced that
confidence into myself, into myown understanding, my own
(36:06):
knowledge, my own wisdom, my own, you know, taking care of
myself, whatever it is, and he'strying to draw me into a place
of, of dependence and a place ofsurrender, humility.
You know, again, if I want toreally hear, follow and thrive,
as we've been talking about,that thriving happens when I'm
(36:28):
at his table.
So I just want to give you acouple of action steps.
If you're with us right now,just you take some time and just
go and say Holy Spirit, wouldyou help me?
I want to grow in my trust frommy father.
I want to come sit at thattable, I want to have that
(36:50):
intimacy and I want to hear hisvoice, I want to follow him.
Michael Blue (36:55):
I want to thrive.
Dan Schilling (36:58):
So would you allow me to just experience that
picture, that pleasure of beingwith the father and I do
believe that's his desire aswell, that he wants you to come
and take a seat at that table.
And the other thing is just thatwhen we get in those tough
spots to say, holy Spirit, wouldyou just speak that reminder to
(37:20):
me, would you just that you'retrustworthy, that I can trust
you, no matter what it is thatyou're facing.
I know things I'm facing rightnow.
Just this is an encouragement Ibelieve God's trying to give me
, and I want to give it to youas well.
You can trust me, you don'thave to be suspicious.
I want to take care of youToday.
I have to take care of you inthe past.
(37:41):
I'll take care of you today andin the future as well.
So, and if you would one otheraction step, just if this has
been encouragement to you today,just to share it with your
friends, family, on your socialmedia or email or whatever feed
that you'd like to share thingswith if you would share that
with them, as they would beencouraged in their journey to
trust God as well.
Michael Blue (38:02):
So, Michael, any closing thoughts?
Dan Schilling (38:05):
for us today.
Michael Blue (38:08):
I think he sums it up well.
I mean, I think we long totrust God and he is trustworthy,
and so let's act that way.
I know you and I have a lot ofgrowth to do and we can all grow
together in this.
I want to pray for us to closeup today All right.
God, thanks so much for yourpatience with us.
Thank you that you have seenthis happen for 4,000 plus years
(38:30):
.
So we run away as you provide,and so I just pray that we can
learn from all of those examplesand we can trust you through
provision and through lack andwhatever situation we are in.
So I just pray that you give usthe ability to see you as you
are more clearly.
In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.
Dan Schilling (38:52):
Hey, thanks for doing the FeedSheep podcast.
We'll see you again next time.
Hey, welcome to the Feed Sheep Podcast, where we
help you hear God's voice,follow His lead and thrive as a
disciple.
I'm Dan Schilling and I'll beone of your guides.
Now let's get into today'stopic.
Hey, welcome to FeedSheepPodcast.
We're back again for part two,Michael.
Good to be with you again forpart two here of the Trust Test.
(00:27):
Yeah, have you ever taken atest?
Michael Blue (00:30):
like this, a Trust Test?
Yeah, yeah.
Dan Schilling (00:37):
Like those fall tests or something.
Michael Blue (00:39):
Yeah.
Dan Schilling (00:40):
Like trust me, do you trust?
Michael Blue (00:41):
me like full test.
Yeah, we had a big thing inninth grade in high school where
we had this like trust fall andall kinds of team building type
of thing.
So, yeah, I hated it.
Did they drop you on the ground?
I was the guy Like, see, don'ttrust people.
Dan Schilling (00:58):
Yeah, sorry, now they caught me.
Well, we're going to go backinto this topic.
If you missed the first part, Iwould encourage you back.
We won't spend a lot of timehere going back over it.
But this is an issue that Iknow each one of us, wherever at
(01:19):
in life, are on this journey oron this process of taking this
test, this Trust Test, and everyday we have an opportunity to
say am I going to be passingthis test?
And I don't think he's lookingat us trying to like.
(01:40):
Sometimes we think that he's upthere right now, you're failing
, You're not doing it, you'renot meeting the standard.
But I recognize in my ownjourney that it's not something
that I'm going to get an A-plusand be done with it, right.
So what's?
On to the next thing?
I don't ever have to go backand revisit that, but this is a
(02:01):
continual journey while I'm onthis side of eternity of
continuing to grow in that TrustM as Jehovah, jire the provider
.
So yeah, yeah.
Michael Blue (02:14):
That's really good .
Sorry, I'm looking outside andit's raining in Texas, which is
the first time in life.
Dan Schilling (02:25):
Yeah, yeah, this is happening, you guys are
having the dry spell there thissummer.
Michael Blue (02:32):
Yeah, but it even reminds me, as we think of this
Trust Test and you think, of thetimes when God shut off rain,
and there are times and seasonsof dryness when we say God,
where are you?
And it feels empty I mean,there's even books, right,
(02:53):
there's a term for it in manypeople's lives of the dark night
of the soul.
Dan Schilling (02:57):
Yes, You're telling me the book.
Michael Blue (02:58):
Yes, there's a book I read called when the Well
Runs Dry, and it's these ideasof these times of dryness where
those are actually some of thebest training grounds for trust.
Yes, I talk about a trust fall.
One of the things you have totrust is because I don't know if
they're still standing behindme with their arms out.
Dan Schilling (03:18):
I got to go backwards.
Michael Blue (03:20):
Yes, and so when I can see, I can maybe trust a
little bit easier.
But when I don't see, when Idon't have that, it strengthens
that muscle, as we talked aboutlast time.
Dan Schilling (03:34):
Yes, Well, let's just hit the points.
We have five points that wewant to make here in these
episodes.
The first two we covered in thelast episode, which is that my
mistrust limits my charactergrowth and that character growth
of trust.
But I think it's also thatcharacter of humility and my
(03:54):
willingness to say I am not theprovider, I know my role.
My position is not to take careof everything, and the danger
is is that I start to startthinking that it's my job.
Now, I do believe we have a partright, I mean we.
There's a aspect of our journeyof when we are led by the
spirit.
We spin one another on towardslove and good deeds.
(04:17):
There are things that he willhave us do, but it's not that we
talked about in a podcastbefore, about the be then do.
It's not do.
First it's, there's an outcomeof the being, and so when I'm
with my father, he may have somethings, but I'm missing out on
opportunities, and that's oursecond point is that mistrust
(04:37):
leads to missed opportunitiesand those opportunities to allow
him to show himself to me asJehovah Jireh, and that many
times I don't want to put myselfand allow myself to even be in
a situation where I'm going toneed to trust him.
Michael Blue (04:53):
So, absolutely, yeah, it's a.
It's a place that we, as yousaid last time, you know it's.
We don't want to be in a placeto need to trust God, but we
want to be able to trust God.
Yes, and unfortunately, youknow, those things are not
mutually exclusive.
They have to come together tolearn to trust.
I have to trust.
Dan Schilling (05:14):
Yes.
So let's much pray for us.
And then we're going to getright into the three points
three, four and five.
Michael Blue (05:21):
then for today, Sure, I got thanks for time
again together, where we get tolook at the fact that you are
trustworthy, that you, you areworthy of us putting our
confidence in, that you don'tever leave us, you never forsake
us, and so we can come boldlybefore you and know that you
will provide.
So give us wisdom as we talkthrough this minister, to our
(05:42):
hearts, as we seek to draw nearto you.
Jesus name, amen, amen.
Dan Schilling (05:47):
All right, so we're going to pick up here.
We've gone through.
This is Deuteronomy eight.
Again, we're reading out thenew living translation and we're
going to pick up now, startingin verse six.
So we got a versus one throughfive last time, so we're going
to start here in verse six andwe're going to the point we want
(06:10):
to get to in this.
One is that mistrust leads toingratitude, so why don't you
start reading for us there inverse six?
Michael Blue (06:19):
All right, so obey the commands of the Lord, your
God, by walking in his ways andfearing him.
Again, just to remind, this isMoses talking to Israelites?
He's they're about to go intothe promised land, and Moses is
not right, so he's giving usfinal instruction.
So he says so obey the commandsof the Lord, your God, by
walking in his ways and fearinghim.
So the Lord, your God, isbringing you into a good land of
flowing streams and pools ofwater, with fountains and
(06:42):
springs that gush out in thevalleys and hills.
It is a land of wheat andbarley, of grapevines, fig trees
and pomegranates, of olive oiland honey.
It is a land where food isplentiful and nothing is lacking
.
It is a land where iron is ascommon as stone and copper is
abundant in the hills.
When you have eaten your fill,be sure to praise the Lord, your
(07:04):
God, for the good land he hasforgiven you, amtrakis, he has
given you.
Dan Schilling (07:09):
Yes, well sometimes it's forgiven too,
yeah, yeah.
Well, this again, what I wantto draw out here is that our
mistrust can lead to ingratitude.
I mean, he's taking them to aplace of provision, of abundance
.
Right, this is going to be aplace.
Many would even say this islike what the United States of
(07:34):
America is, right, just acountry of plenty.
Right, we have resources.
We have beautiful resources,hills, minerals, just beautiful
opportunities in front of us.
But the danger is, like manytimes throughout Scripture,
(07:55):
there's been this cycle thathappens Throughout Scripture is,
I said, if you kind of startedat the bottom here, where the
people of Israel are, if it wason a compass, maybe you'd say
they're at the bottom andthey're going to start heading
up and they start moving theirheart to trust in the provider.
So if trust in the provider waswhere West is, so they're
(08:16):
moving up towards that trust inthe provider and then when they
reach you know that growth andthat journey of trusting in Him,
when their heart gets so closeto that, then what happens is
sometimes, throughout Bible, wesee this where they start
putting their trust in theprovision which leads them on
this cycle.
And so when you look throughScripture, you keep seeing this
cycle where they keep goingaround and around and around,
(08:39):
where they would get stripped ofeverything.
They would say, okay, god, showus, help us.
And so Moses is trying to sayto him hey guys, by the way,
when you get there, you knowthis is what's going to be like,
but we're going to see in justa moment here this other, you
know next part of the Scriptureis you're going to most likely
(09:01):
you're going to be on the samecycle again and I don't want to
see you get on that cycle.
But just be, make sure thatwhen you get there, that you're
full of praise.
And what we've seen in everyone of these incidents you know.
When you have been goingthrough the book of Kings right
now, it's like how many timesyou know or even the book of
Judges and what it says.
And again they did what was evilin the sight of Lord.
We keep going through this cyclearound and around, and I think
(09:22):
for many of us today that samecycle exists.
And what happens, at least inmy own journey, michael, and
what I was saying last time is Iforget how much he's done for
me in days past, right, I startlosing sight of how he has
revealed himself to me asJehovah Jire in the past, today
(09:46):
in the present, and has promisedme even for the future.
And just thinking about whatyou were teaching a few episodes
ago about Abraham and about thepromise and holding on to that
promise.
And many times, you know, weknow God has said I'll never
leave you, I'll never forsakeyou.
David said never saw therighteous forsaken begging for
(10:09):
bread.
So we believe that he's trust.
We see in the scriptures thathe's trustworthy, but what we've
been talking about is the wordmistrust, or that suspicion that
he's not going to do that, andwhat that happens then is then
this heart of ingratitude startsto take root in the midst of
this process.
Michael Blue (10:29):
Yeah, we begin to think, you know, even thinking
about all the description of allthese things, we begin to think
, oh, those olives, that oliveoil came from my olives, right,
except the olives existed inthat land given to them by God.
But very quickly, I'm sure youthink it's your work, your
industry, all of these things,and I think that it's just this
(10:51):
cycle that we see all throughouthistory.
As you read that and we'retalking, I was reminded of John
Wesley's quote during therevivals in the 19th century.
He said this.
He says I fear, wherever richeshave increased, the essence of
religion has decreased in thesame proportion.
Therefore, I do, do I not seehow it is possible, in the
(11:13):
nature of things, for anyrevival of true religion to
continue long?
For religion must necessarilyproduce both industry and
frugality, and these cannot butproduce riches.
But as riches increase, so willpride, anger and love of the
world and all its branches.
And so, as he's watching thisrevival happen, he's effectively
saying what Moses said to thesepeople is this is going to,
(11:36):
you're going to walk in here andyou're going to have a land
where nothing is lacking.
Yes, iron and stone are thesame.
Copper is abundant, like youknow.
You have everything you need,but when you become full, be
sure to praise the Lord, yourGod, for the good land he has
given to you.
Yes, yes, and don't let prideand anger and these things come
(11:57):
in.
Yes, and so it does it's, it'sfor whatever reason.
It leads to ingratitude becauseI think we begin to see it as
our provision.
Right, like you said in thelast episode, there's no Dan
Jaira, there's no Michael Jairain the Bible.
There's Jehovah Jaira, godprovider.
Yes, yes, but if I produced iton my own and with my own hands,
(12:19):
then I'd lose gratitude.
Dan Schilling (12:21):
Yes, Well, because I don't.
I that lack of humility.
What he said he was taking themthere for we looked in that
last, you know, because hehumbled you to take you here,
right, he was to teach you thatcharacter trait of humility that
helps me recognize that it ishis provision.
(12:41):
He gave me life today.
He gave me breath.
He gave me not just the breadthat's in front of me, but that
word that proceeds from themouth of the Father, that
direction, that leadership, thatguidance that I need every day.
The danger is is when I don'trecognize that it came from him
anymore, right, and I startedthinking oh, I'm the source, it
(13:06):
is Dan Jaira, it's the source ofwisdom, dan Jaira, the source,
I mean the prevent, not just theprovision of my material things
, but the provision of wisdomand insight and knowledge and
understanding.
All of a sudden, why do I needto go to him?
I can provide myself all ofthose things, and that leads me
to a.
Why should I be grateful to him?
I'm the one who's doing itright, and that's a dangerous
(13:30):
place.
That's what mistrust.
Or when my trust is no longerplaced upon him for that daily
bread, not just, again, physicalthings, but that word that I
need from so dangerous place.
But I find myself, unfortunately, many times again in this place
where the problem isn't God andreally the problem isn't around
(13:53):
me.
The problem is, you know,looking in the mirror, right
that I have been Turning tomyself and trying to figure, and
the reason I'm feeling thatanxiety and stress and pressure
and all the things that aregoing on around me is because I
Don't know how I'm gonna.
How am I gonna deal with it?
How am I gonna deal thesituation?
(14:14):
And he's inviting me to come tothat table and Enjoy that fresh
bread and that fellowship withhim, where he can not only meet
my needs and give me to rest,but just say I got this right.
Michael Blue (14:28):
Yeah, and I think that there, the important thing
is, god has a lot of goodnessfor us, right?
I mean, we could fall prey tothe, this idea of, well, I just
need to run from everything, butthere is good, warm bread in
his presence.
But it always comes with thiswarning of you know, the
tendency is that when we're full, we don't praise God, for we
(14:53):
don't walk in his ways, we don'tfear him, yes, and we we become
suspicious of one who may askus to give it away you know, you
have enough.
Yes, yes, let's share, obey Mike, as part of what the commands
are.
There's a lot of sharing inthose commands.
Yes, there's, there's.
We won't have time for thattoday, but yes, and so I become,
(15:16):
I start to clutch, yes, thegood things he's given me.
Dan Schilling (15:20):
Yes, and then what happens many times is I've
been sharing with a guy atbreakfast this morning with I
said you, the problem is is Iget so worried about my own
stuff that I miss the callingthat God has, you know, said to
me now I want you to take someof this fresh bread and I want
(15:42):
you to go share it with someother folks today.
Right, and the goal isn't toget them to like you and look at
you like oh, or for them tobecome dependent on you to
deliver them the bread.
The actual goal is to invitethem back to the father's table,
to have them come to their seatat the father's table, for them
(16:05):
to have that same opportunity,that same relationship, with a
father at the table eating thefresh bread, enjoying the
fellowship.
And then they actually get todo the exact same thing to take
some of that bread and go sharethat Life, that encouragement,
that word that brought you life,that brought you encouragement.
(16:25):
Now you can take that and feedSomeone else with it.
Yeah, so it's good.
Yeah, well, let's keep going,because now we're gonna get to
the warning which is like ohwhat, what do we got to look out
for?
So let's look at this, startingin verse 11 again, this is
Deuteronomy 8.
Michael Blue (16:43):
So let's read there.
Dan Schilling (16:44):
I'm gonna read down through 15 this time, All
right but that is the time to becareful.
Michael Blue (16:50):
Beware that in your plenty, you do not forget
the Lord, your God, and disobeyhis commands, regulations and
decrees that I am giving youtoday.
For when you have become fulland prosperous and have built
fine homes to live in, when yourflocks and herds have become
very large and your silver andgold have multiplied along with
everything else, be careful, donot become proud at that time
(17:11):
and forget the Lord, your God,who rescued you from slavery in
the land of Egypt.
Do not forget that he led youthrough the great and terrifying
wilderness with its poisonoussnakes and scorpions.
Dan Schilling (17:21):
Where it was so hot and dry, he gave you water
from the rock and Well, this tome is like such a reminder of
the United States of America.
Sometimes, like you know, we'veas a country you know we're a
couple, a hundred years oldFolks that came here had, you
(17:42):
know, many next to nothingimmigrants coming and getting
established.
But they came to this countryand they began to work hard and
and Do all kinds of things,industries and farms and things
all over this country.
They became Full and andprosperous, you know, built nice
(18:04):
homes, you know, they increasedin their, not just their flocks
and herds, but their wealth,their silver and gold, and, and
now we are at a place whereWe've multiplied so much, we
have a generation of Folks havebecome entitled to thinking well
, of course I deserve it, ofcourse I should have everything,
(18:25):
of course I'm Entitled to have,you know, my portfolio grow,
you know, 20 plus percent, or mybusiness to grow, this, this,
this.
Anyways, the warning again issaying you know just when that
happens.
Don't look to yourself, but thecycles they were just talking
(18:45):
about before, it just keepshappening, right, we just keep
our heart and trust moves awayfrom the provider toward the
provision and we start headingsouth and they use the
asterstripus, and to me I thinkthat's one of the things that
you know.
At some point in time you say,historically, it's probably not
a I'm not a doomsday, or for theUnited States of America at
(19:05):
some point, just historically,like every other nation has done
.
It usually comes around a cycleand at some point and you say
look what we're doing as acountry, look our fiscal.
You know choices and things wedo, the debt and all the things
that we're doing.
At some point in time it'sprobably gonna catch up with us.
Michael Blue (19:26):
Right, yeah, absolutely.
And you know, the key thinghere, I think, is this pride
right To not become proud andforget God.
And if you think about peoplein your life who are arrogant
and prideful and all those itcreates it does.
It creates relational distancebetween you and another person
(19:46):
and it just has to.
It's an abrasive.
It's a me centered, me firstidea.
You know I'm special and so youknow.
Pride then leads to arroganceand looking down on other people
and thinking less of others, asyou think more highly of
yourself than you ought.
And so when we do this with God, right, imagine being prideful
in the face of God and how muchthat actually creates when there
(20:11):
is already such a differencebetween who he is and who we are
.
I mean, it's one thing for meto be prideful versus you, dan,
no offense versus me to beprideful against God.
Yes yes, and so it's going toput a rift in our relationship.
If I think I'm the one whomultiplied, I'm the one who you
(20:33):
know was smart in my breedingefforts to build these flocks
and herds.
I'm the one who's multipliedthese things and with my hands I
constructed this beautifulhouse.
Dan Schilling (20:42):
Yes.
So how many years ago was thiswritten?
I mean, how was this like?
Spoken from Moses, would yousay?
I like 4,000, I think Ish,4,000 years ago.
All right, that's been a longtime ago.
So it's not like this is new,right?
I mean, like what I'm sayingabout the United States, it's
not like this is like you can gothrough your Bible and just see
this.
You know cyclical process forthousands of years happen again
(21:05):
and again.
But what I want to also bringout is I don't know when this
was written you probably do, butthis first Timothy, you know,
say yeah, it was 2,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago.
So we'll get 4,000 years ago,2,000 years ago and probably
some present day thing we justtalked about.
(21:26):
But let's look at this versehere.
Why don't you read this Kind ofthe same thing that was just a
warning, if you will in theDeuteronomy passage here in 1
Timothy 6, this is gonna be inverses 17 down through 19.
And again, what we're thinkingabout here is how mistrust
(21:47):
creates relational distance.
So we're gonna think about thatin this scripture as well.
Michael Blue (21:52):
Yeah, and this is Paul's writing a letter to
Timothy, kind of his apprenticeor a guy he had discipled pastor
and he wrote this he said teachthose who are rich in this
world not to be proud and not totrust in their money, which is
so unreliable.
Their trust should be in God,who richly gives us all we need
for our enjoyment.
Tell them to use their money todo good.
(22:13):
They should be rich in goodworks and generous to those in
need, always being ready toshare with others.
By doing this, they will bestoring up their treasure as a
good foundation for the futureso that they may experience true
life.
Dan Schilling (22:26):
Yes, when I think what happens again I'll point
the finger at myself is yearsago I heard a teacher who was
saying that the problem is mostof us, when we look at these
scriptures, we don't thinkthey're talking to us, right, so
I'm not rich.
I mean, I'm not like Elon Muskor I'm not like whoever who has
(22:50):
more than right.
So everybody feels like they'renot rich because they're
comparing themself up tosomebody else, so it's like
right, and then that ain'ttalking to me.
But the defining this of richis to have more than you need.
We may have talked about thisin the past.
If I have a rich brownie, ithas too much, maybe chocolate or
sugar.
A car that's running rich hastoo much oil or fuel, so it has
(23:11):
more than it needs.
And so he's talking to those ofus who have more than we need.
And so just, that's me right.
And so now that I recognizethis is talking to me, I can be
careful that one I don't becomeproud and my heart doesn't move
like that same morning we lookedat Deuteronomy that my heart
doesn't move over to the stuffthat he's entrusted to me.
(23:33):
But we can see it again andagain and again that it happens.
And what?
The admonition here again in 1Timothy, the same that was given
to us in Deuteronomy and thesame that we wanna give to
ourselves and to you today, ifyou're listening is that it
doesn't want it.
And it's because we lose sightof who Jehovah Jireh is.
(23:56):
I mean he wants us to.
When I love what it says, thathe richly gives all we need for
our enjoyment, he wants you toenjoy it, give thanks for it, be
grateful for what you've beenprovided for.
But when he taps on you andsays, hey, here's what I'd like
you to go do with, that, thiswould be good.
We don't say, like you weresaying earlier, I think we
clutch onto it, it's like, no, Idon't wanna do that, that's for
(24:17):
me, right?
And then I miss out onparticipating in that relational
connection that I don't get toenjoy.
Why he gave it to me?
This teacher also said.
The problem is we make theassumption it's for our
consumption.
God gave it to him, of course.
(24:37):
It's all for me, right?
I mean to share it like this isfor me, and then I'm missing
out.
And I'm missing out on theopportunity to share.
And you and I've talked aboutthis many times that the goal
isn't to share because I'mgenerous.
The goal is to lead people tounderstand it's his generosity,
he's the giver, it's all his.
(24:57):
I'm just the delivery person,I'm just the one bringing that
bread and sharing it with you.
Not just physical bread ormaterial, but that word, that
bread from the father, and bydoing it we're storing up for
ourselves a treasure.
Why?
Because we're using what he'sgiven to help people connect to
(25:17):
their father.
This is a gift from your fatherto you.
He wants you to know he lovesyou, cares for you, and he wants
you to come be with him at histable.
He wants you to have a seat atthis table and that future, that
foundation, that if we do that.
I've been thinking about thispassage in Daniel when it says
that 12, 3, that those who leadmany to righteousness will shine
(25:40):
like the stars forever, andthat that to me, has become kind
of my, one of my goal, versuslike I want to.
I want to be One who leads manyothers to righteousness, and
not maybe a term that peoplethink like religiously, but in
real, light relationship, thatthey are in relationship with
the father sitting at the tableand join the bread with him,
(26:02):
that place of righteousness yeahWell, and I think it's
important and this is what Ioftentimes forget and have a
hard time keeping in myforefront as the promise that
they may experience true life Isthis promise.
Michael Blue (26:16):
So we, we kind of build our lives thinking that
the that we're experiencingsomething that's quote wretched,
to use that word again that'swretched and full and all of
that, when we're missing Kind ofthe true life.
And I don't have the greatconfront me, but my guess is
this word is zoe for life andthe term zoe life refers to our
(26:36):
eternal life is connected to God.
It's different.
There's three terms for life inthe Greek site suke, and I
don't remember.
One is our soul, basically, andone's our body, like our
Physical needs that we have yes,and then they have the zoe life
which is our, is life.
The eternal life is as connectedto God and it's true life.
And so this is this is the,this is the promise and this is
(26:59):
the kind of the thing that we'rePointing towards.
But it's really easy to Takeour eyes and shift them away
from that and onto the thingsand away from them.
Dan Schilling (27:09):
Really, the real one thing that matters, and
that's the experience of truelife, yes, Well, and and you and
I have been in this space when,from the financial side of it
too but just when these otherthings happen To come into our
life, meaning I have more than Ineed, just like the do-around
me passage, or in here, when Ihave more than I need, I come to
(27:31):
this place of plenty and myheart starts to leave.
And when my heart starts toleave, then I'm that relational
distance starts to happen.
I'm no longer, because theseother things start to become the
priority.
You said that are they becomethe thing has my time, my
attention, I'm no longer hearingthe voice, and when I'm no
longer here in the voice, I'mnot following him, and when I'm
(27:51):
not following, I'm not thriving,right.
And so this is why, again, thatwe want to encourage you all,
in ourselves here as well, onthis journey, is we don't want
to miss out on the relationship,the time together with the
father at the table enjoying thefresh bread.
(28:14):
Yeah, so it's good.
Yeah, well, let's.
Uh, we're at one more point togo here and we're gonna go back
to Deuteronomy 8 and we're gonnafinish up here and Verse 16,
and we'll go down through theend, 20.
Michael Blue (28:31):
All right.
So it says.
He fed you with manna and thewilderness of food unknown to
your ancestors.
He did this to humble you andtest you for your own good.
He did all this so that youwould never say to yourself I
have achieved this wealth withmy own strength and energy.
Remember the Lord your God.
He is the one who gives youpower to be successful in order
to fulfill the covenant heconfirmed to your ancestors with
(28:54):
an oath.
But I assure you of this if youever forget the Lord, your God,
and follow other gods,worshiping and bowing down to
them, you certainly, or you willcertainly, be destroyed.
Just as the Lord has destroyedother nations in your path, you
also will be destroyed if yourefuse to obey the Lord, your
God.
Dan Schilling (29:12):
Yes, and so point number five here is that
mistrust leads to pride anddestruction.
And Again you say well, you'vebeen talking about this pride
thing.
Well, it's interesting, there'sthree times in this section of
portion of scripture in Chapter8, from 1 to 20.
(29:33):
In verse 2, he talks about whyhe took him.
There was for humbling.
Verse 3, he again says yes, hehumbled you by letting you go
hungry.
And then again here in verse 16, that he did this to humble you
.
So I think he's trying to get apoint across here that when he
mentioned several times, right,that the goal is that we grow
(29:57):
and walk in humility and I'vebeen, michael, in this season of
life, continuing to recognizethat humility is not something I
grab a hold of and then I haveit that it really is something
that the Holy Spirit isimparting to me day by day,
moment by moment, and theremight be a moment that I where
(30:18):
humility comes in and it'sexemplified, but it can leave in
about a millisecond and I'mfinding myself in many aspects
of life being continuallychallenged of how much pride
still exists in here and whyhe's working on that aspect.
(30:39):
But it's because of my.
I don't trust him Like.
Many of my areas right now areimpatience of waiting, like it
seems like every aspect of mylife.
I'm always like getting behindsomebody who like doesn't go
through the light and stops, orI'm behind somebody in a line.
I go to the gas station, I getin line at Sam's Club and that
person in front of me can'tfigure out how to get the card
(31:01):
in and they're sitting there for15 minutes and I'm like, oh God
, help me, what am I?
And when I'm realized it's allpride.
I, you know, I'm not willingjust to rest in him in so many
ways and I'm not willing just tosay, god, I trust your timing
and provision, I'll trust youthat you're going to take care
of it.
I want it now, I want to get it.
(31:22):
I want that.
What I said last time aboutthat make bacon eat next time's
bread.
Michael Blue (31:26):
I want it now because I want to get to this
next point and I'm not willingjust to humble myself and I
wonder, if we think about somany of these things, we're
talking about even gettingthrough a line, so much of them
are pointed towards the future.
Right, we're longing for adifferent future, we're longing
to be done, we're alwayspointing to the future, and I
(31:47):
think that's where kind of thehumility comes in and it strips
us from what we talked aboutlast time, and that's being
willing to be in the presence inthe present.
Yes, right, and so when I, andso all of these things, largely
take me out of the present,where I'm unwilling to
experience the presence of God,when I'm unwilling to experience
(32:08):
the presence of the Father,because I'm longing or pining
for something else, and so Imiss, you know, even in the line
I may miss an opportunity thatGod has appointed me in that
place, with this man who'sstruggling to put his card in,
to be loving even to him, I'mnot even saying, you know, give
him, I'm sure they got, but justto be kind, yes, and so we were
(32:29):
people who are.
So we obviously exist in thepresent, but we often live in
the future or we live in thepast, and neither one of those
are very good places to live andGod doesn't call us to live in
either one of those he calls usto live in his presence, right
there at the table, as we waitfor him, as we trust him, and so
(32:50):
even our hurry can lead us intothis, like you said, out of
humility and into pride.
Dan Schilling (32:55):
Yes, well, and it's because I think I'm like I
got something more important togo to do, be a part of, you know
, an agenda, you know.
And the danger in that thinkingand I got stuff to do, I got, I
got a lot of things, I got toget done today because I'm
taking care of myself, and thisthinking starts to be pervasive
(33:18):
is I can take care of myself.
And you know, we grew up in acountry where it's kind of like
hey, pull yourself up by thebootstraps, get your.
You know, get out.
It's meant to be, it's up to me.
You know, I gotta, I gotta getit done.
I gotta, you know, drive thisthing.
I gotta drive this ministry, wegotta make it accomplish things
, we gotta do this, we gotta dothis.
And what happens is I, I, Imiss being at the table because
(33:42):
I start figuring out how I'mgoing to take care of it.
I'm, I'm, I'm no longer wantingto be dependent on him and what
that provision, not just again,of of physical needs, but that,
that word that proceeds fromhim, and what it leads me to is
a place of destruction, so thatI can't even love and care for
people when I'm in the gas line.
(34:06):
I can't you know I mean like I'mso caught up in myself and my
goals, my drive, my whatever.
I'm missing that place of rest,that place with my father to
say what's, what's the hurryRight?
Love on these people, care forthem serve them, humble yourself
, and so I'm a mess, but praiseGod that he's still at work,
(34:31):
right, he who began the goodwork as faithful to complete it
in us, and so just grateful forwhat he's doing in this season.
I believe he's drawing me to aplace that he does not want me
to live in, this place ofmistrust.
I'm grateful for that.
Michael Blue (34:48):
That's good.
Dan Schilling (34:51):
Well, let's, let's go back over these five
points again, just as a recapfrom the two times you want to
read through those.
You got them there.
Michael Blue (35:03):
Yeah, so the the five points are mistrust limits
my character growth.
The second one is mistrustleads to missed opportunities
and missing God's miraculousprovision and things.
Mistrust leads me todisobedience so I start trying
to do things my way.
Mistrust causes strainedcommunication, actually causes
(35:25):
relational distance.
Sorry about that.
Mistrust causes relationaldistance.
Dan Schilling (35:29):
I changed that.
Michael Blue (35:32):
Mistrust leads to pride and destruction, and so
those are kind of the five, fivethings.
So you know, all in all, Ithink we determine that mistrust
isn't a good thing, yeah.
Dan Schilling (35:42):
Well, and and what it's again, as we
differentiated those two ofmistrust and distrust, is that I
, I'm I'm not having theconfidence in him because I've
misplaced that confidence andmay have misplaced that
confidence into myself, into myown understanding, my own
(36:06):
knowledge, my own wisdom, my own, you know, taking care of
myself, whatever it is, and he'strying to draw me into a place
of, of dependence and a place ofsurrender, humility.
You know, again, if I want toreally hear, follow and thrive,
as we've been talking about,that thriving happens when I'm
(36:28):
at his table.
So I just want to give you acouple of action steps.
If you're with us right now,just you take some time and just
go and say Holy Spirit, wouldyou help me?
I want to grow in my trust frommy father.
I want to come sit at thattable, I want to have that
(36:50):
intimacy and I want to hear hisvoice, I want to follow him.
Michael Blue (36:55):
I want to thrive.
Dan Schilling (36:58):
So would you allow me to just experience that
picture, that pleasure of beingwith the father and I do
believe that's his desire aswell, that he wants you to come
and take a seat at that table.
And the other thing is just thatwhen we get in those tough
spots to say, holy Spirit, wouldyou just speak that reminder to
(37:20):
me, would you just that you'retrustworthy, that I can trust
you, no matter what it is thatyou're facing.
I know things I'm facing rightnow.
Just this is an encouragement Ibelieve God's trying to give me
, and I want to give it to youas well.
You can trust me, you don'thave to be suspicious.
I want to take care of youToday.
I have to take care of you inthe past.
(37:41):
I'll take care of you today andin the future as well.
So, and if you would one otheraction step, just if this has
been encouragement to you today,just to share it with your
friends, family, on your socialmedia or email or whatever feed
that you'd like to share thingswith if you would share that
with them, as they would beencouraged in their journey to
trust God as well.
Michael Blue (38:02):
So, Michael, any closing thoughts?
Dan Schilling (38:05):
for us today.
Michael Blue (38:08):
I think he sums it up well.
I mean, I think we long totrust God and he is trustworthy,
and so let's act that way.
I know you and I have a lot ofgrowth to do and we can all grow
together in this.
I want to pray for us to closeup today All right.
God, thanks so much for yourpatience with us.
Thank you that you have seenthis happen for 4,000 plus years
(38:30):
.
So we run away as you provide,and so I just pray that we can
learn from all of those examplesand we can trust you through
provision and through lack andwhatever situation we are in.
So I just pray that you give usthe ability to see you as you
are more clearly.
In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.
Dan Schilling (38:52):
Hey, thanks for doing the FeedSheep podcast.
We'll see you again next time.
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